The standard (wired) USB protocol differs from wireless USB protocols in the standardization of both the physical and the logical aspects of communication. Several adaptations are needed in order to allow a USB device that was designed for wired communication to use wireless communication. Some of those adaptations are physical and require a hardware solution, whereas other needed adaptations are logical and require a software solution.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art solution of connecting a wireless universal serial bus (USB) host and a wired USB device. System 109 includes wireless USB host 220 that is connected to host wire adapter (HWA) 221, which conveniently is a USB2 device that is connected to wireless USB host 220 in order to facilitate wireless USB communication to wireless USB host 220. System 109 also include two native WUSB devices 211 (a native WUSB printer and a native WUSB scanner, which are offered by way of example), which are adapted to independently connect wirelessly with wireless USB host 220.
The two other devices shown in FIG. 1 are wired USB devices 210 (a USB printer and a USB scanner), which are not adapted to communicate wirelessly with wireless USB host 220. Therefore, according to a prior art solution, wired USB devices 210 are connected to device wire adapter (DWA) 202.
Device wire adapter 202 and host wire adapter 221 alter and manage the transactions between USB devices 210 and wireless USB host 220 so as to conform to a wireless communication protocol.
This prior art solution has the disadvantage of necessitating a support for DWA/HWA drivers on wireless USB host 220. Moreover, this solution further suffers from a lower transfer rate due to DWA/HWA protocol overhead.
The solution discussed above and other solutions to this problem discussed in the literature are insensitive to the specific requirements of each USB class. The attempt to enable all types of USB classes to communicate wirelessly by a single solution such as in the DWA/HWA model results in a lower transfer rate, due to the larger amount of protocol overhead. It is further clear to any person that is skilled in the art, that the actualization of a full capabilities device wire adapter 202 that is able to handle all or most of the USB class not only slows the communication, it is also complicated and costly.
There is a need provide an efficient method and system for connecting a wireless USB host and a wired USB device.